


When the games are over

by InkkEmulsion



Series: Apex Legends [6]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Mentions of Nightmares, Other, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-07 23:37:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20984303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkkEmulsion/pseuds/InkkEmulsion
Summary: A collection of fics below 1000 words which aren't long enough to be a part of my 'Let the games begin' collection.





	1. Crypto x Gender ambiguous reader

You wake to the feeling of strong arms pulling you close, and the murmur of tired Korean in your right ear. 

That was Crypto, you realize blearily, likely asking what was wrong. You tried not to think of the images of horrid visions still plaguing even your waking consciousness. You must have woke him up somehow during your nightmare, and he in turn had woke you. Slowly the world clarifies itself slowly and the concerned gaze of your lover comes into view, soft brown eyes gazing down at you with what little light the monitors still dimly on provided. His hair was a mess but in that moment to him only you existed, ready to fight whatever dared cause you harm.

“Are you alright?” Is the first English words out of his mouth and already you can feel whatever evil phantasm that plagued you in sleep slip away, protected in safe arm arms. It was like a blanket of security had been pulled over you, melting from the attention and care you were shown. You can only kiss the underside of his metallic jaw, whispering an apology. “I’m sorry baby- I’m sorry. I… I just had a nightmare. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

His eyes soften even more from the already sympathetic gaze he gave you, a hand coming to stroke down your back and mutter reassurances. It was unfortunately common for the both of you to experience some kind of night terror, you had both just become better at dealing with them. Being with someone who cared helped significantly. 

“You want to talk about it?” He asks gently, idle fingers playing with strands of your hair. You shake your head as best you can pressed up against his chest, humming quietly. 

“Not right now. I just want to sleep again.” 

The rest of the time you’re left awake is thankfully slim. Crypto has a soft voice which lulled you to sleep in no time at all, fingers still laced in your hair. The warmth and quiet murmur of Korean was the last thing you remember before you were thrust back into unconsciousness, the chills of the night long since forgotten by the time morning came.

Crypto isn’t there when you wake up, but a note rests on the bedside table signed with the little nickname you gave him as a joke.

‘I had to go, something needed my immediate attention.   
Sleep well, and remember to eat when you wake up.   
I know you have been skipping meals again. – CC’


	2. Bloodhound x gender ambiguous reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you return to the good hunter amidst your sleep deprival and they have a few things that may just help.

“Back again so soon?” Bloodhound asks with a note of subtle surprise, their helm tilted just so to the side. You recognise that look, it’s one of concern, most often displayed when the hunt doesn’t go well in the ring. At this point you’d become mildly adept at reading the body language of the infamous hunter you’d somehow come to befriend. You however can only smile tiredly and nod, allowing yourself to be ushered inside and within moments you find yourself seated in the same place you’d been a month prior in their quaint living room, water already being boiled from a kettle. Instead of their heavy armour they were wearing a dense padded hoodie, a more striped down version of their mask in place.

“Staying awake so late will hinder you abilities vinur,” they gently scold you as Arthr comes to rest on the arm of your chair. They eye you cautiously, pecking at the hem of your shirt. 

“I know bloth- I wouldn’t be here if I could sleep otherwise. Not to say I don’t greatly appreciate your company, you know I always do, birds of a feather and such but i’d really like to just... Sleep. Be normal.” You sigh, eyes painfully heavy and you can feel the beginnings of a headache brewing. Your mood is no better, high strung and the smallest of things seem to set you off, unable to take even constructive criticism. “I don’t want to be like I am, I know it’s not right.”

Bloodhound does what they do best, arms folded across their chest and listening to your troubles providing no judgement. It was comforting to know that you always had them to talk to, ready to lend a hand in the same way you would for them no questions asked.

“I think perhaps it is time to pay a visit to Miss Che. There are times when tea can only do so much, elskan mín, and this is one of those moments. There is no shame in admitting more help is needed from better sources.” They nod wisely, the chair creaking quietly under their weight. Arthr beside you gurgles for attention, feathers floofing up when they realise you aren’t stopping them from biting at your shirt. “Ach- mannasiðir. He has been quite rude lately, harassing the other legends. Pathfinder seems to receive the worst unfortunately,” they dip their helm in apology and you wave it away, reaching over to gently scritch right under Arthr’s chin. It’s well received, their eyes squinting closed from the attention.

“It’s no trouble. Arthr is looking quite the handsome bird with his new feathers now- all done with moulting? Last I was here there were quite a few pin feathers coming through.” A smile finds its way to your lips and a deep chuckle is your reward, Bloodhound slowly standing as the kettle finishes boiling.   
“He is- but his behaviour is unbecoming. Excuse me for a moment,” the hunter bids you, leaving the room just for a moment to finish with the tea. They clatter around for awhile, coming back with a tray with a rather large teapot and surprisingly 2 teacups. Following your age they hum in amusement, sighing as they sat down once more. You shuffle closer in your chair, a smile on your face.

“I myself am having a sleepless night. I hope you do not mind looking away while I...?” They gesture to their mask and you nod understandingly. 

“Oh by all means, just let me know when I need to look away. Thank you for everything Bloth.”


	3. Octane x Gender ambiguous reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octane teaches you how to really fly.

“Ready?” He’s breathless as he takes your hand, eyes searching yours beneath your goggles. Wearing his equipment from the ring was strange but exhilarating- almost exhilarating as what you were about to do hand in hand as you stood at the very edge of the dropship’s ramp. His jacket is comforting around your smaller frame, nervous about the jump.

This entire situation was ridiculous, going skydiving at night to the arena below, stealing modified jetpacks with glider like wings to truly fly. The glimmer of breathtaking stars though was something that called to you, coaxing you a little closer to the precipice. You looked back to Octane, who was equally stunned by the sight before you.

The night sky seemed to stretch on forever, so high up that it seemed like you could reach out and touch the nebulae above shining so brightly it cast the evening sky into brilliant hues of violet and magenta in places. Nearby stars pulsed in multicolour, vying for your attention in the cosmic light show on display for just the two of you.

You laugh, the sound carried away by the wing that whipped your hair against your neck, briefly obscuring your vision. 

“...Yeah. Yeah i’m ready.” You murmur, the ship slowly circling around the island on autopilot. His hand takes yours firmly, a look of utter adoration and excitement in his eyes you hadn’t seen before on Octane. You’d seen his anticipation before the jumps in matches, enthusiasm after stunts gone well but this? This was something entirely different and the intensity of the feeling was almost overwhelming with it completely directed at you. You didn’t have time before he was moving closer, pulling you close...

Then you were falling backwards off the ship together, a trail of neon blue and green following your descent. The deafening shrill cry of wind fills your ears and for a second the blindness gives way to an unstoppable panic. You don’t know what way anything is until you hear the murmur of Octane’s voice fill your comm line.

“You want to fly amiga?” He grips you tighter, eyes meeting yours in the descent. “Let’s fly.”

He releases you in an instant your jetpacks burst to life, wings flaring open with a beautiful flare of vibrant blue. The gliders lift you from your terrifying freefall and for a moment you forget that you were falling. The wings were something otherworldly in the night, no longer plummeting but instead you ascended, the controls following the way you moved instinctively. For those few moments, you knew how a bird felt finding its wings for the very first time. 

Octane was already circling around you, laughing as you gained your bearings and lit the way for you to follow with a trail of neon greens. Your heart felt light, still in disbelief that you both were genuinely flying as you streaked through the skies like the northern lights in a tangible form. All around you the stars guided your path, framing the world in a way you’d never seen it before.

You soared higher to watch Octane show off some more, enjoying his ridiculous loops and tricks and for just an instant- you caught sight of the real Octane. No need to impress, no flamboyant jokes or deathly impulsiveness. Just him.

And that was the moment you knew you’d fallen in love.


	4. Wild card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of short story fragments, written in the duration of a single song- roughly 4 minutes or less.
> 
> Bloodhound x reader  
Octane x reader  
Mirage x reader  
Bloodhound  
Bangalore x reader  
Octane x reader

So few could outrun Bloodhound like you could. 

When the free time stretched too long with the Games at the end of their season, you liked to challenge Bloodhound to something you knew they couldn’t resist. It only took a look by now, a subconscious question complimented by your mischievous smile and they knew. The distant woods were your playgrounds for this challenge.

Launching into a full sprint into the depths of the forest at night your night vision goggles lit the way, feet pounding against the earth before climbing up into one of the trees and darting through the thick branches of ancient alien trees mostly left undisturbed in the wake of the development of Apex City. Your passing was quiet once off the ground, nigh untraceable but Bloodhound was no mere hunter. They were a tool of the Gods and if anyone could find your path, they could.

You’d been running for an hour deeper and deeper into heavy forests when you first caught sight of flashes in your vision. Mere blurs or shadows that could have easily been played off as local wild life, but you knew better. 

Your time had come.

\---

Octane was asleep at his desk now, wrench still in his hand before he had fallen unconscious at his desk.

On it rested a new prosthetic prototype Lifeline had helped design for the games, assisting in agility he so cherished when moving around. Skin smudged with oil and grime his arms and hands were covered in it, green dipped Mohawk a mess from where he had fussed with it from figuring out a problem with the attachments. 

You’d walked over with coffee a few times, the speedster accepting them with a kiss and a passing thank you. Smiling gently you patted him on the shoulder, and went back to working on your own upgrades for the next match.

Finding him asleep though? You couldn’t leave him there. 

\---

“Mirage when you said you had tickets to some live music I was not expecting tickets to a metal band!”

He only grins over the noise, pulling you into the crowd as the place was alight with movement and activity. It was a crushed cluster of sweaty bodies and heavy bass lines but he seemed so into it you let yourself be pulled into the mess, sighing quietly to yourself. The music wasn’t half bad at least, enjoying the lead singer’s gritty vocals. 

“It’s great right?” He shouted over the growl of guitars, blending into the crowd like they were just normal people. You quickly realised that’s exactly why he chose to come here tonight. 

To feel like a normal person.

\---

Sliding down the hill to the relay station an entire squad was on Bloodhound’s trail but they weren’t panicked even with the hail of bullets clipping their shields and armour as they went.

Getting to the building had been trickier with no squadmates to provide cover but they did it, skidding through the doors and quickly setting up an ambush. Thermite grenades set at the entrance which caught the first off guard as planned shattering their own shields. Next came real grenades (two in total), followed by a storm of firepower from Bloodhound’s R-99.

A frustrating weapon but perfect in this exact circumstance.

The weapon ate through their defences like it was nothing, the tracker memorising and identifying all the information needed to pull off such a tactic. Two fell quickly, the third realising the ambush that was set and instead trying to flank from behind from the roof. Thrill of the Hunt caught the sounds of footfalls, and with not a moment to spare whipped the hunter around in the correct direction.

Their head no longer resembled such a thing when the next clip was fired.

\---

Bangalore was closed off to just about everyone but you.

You’d been there when she’d gotten her next lead on whether her brother or not was alive, and the sheer determination in her tone had shocked you. The reporters were like vultures trying to get a word in but with the threat of potentially killing the next person who asked, they backed off reluctantly and had instead turned to you for help.

“You want me as back up?” You’d asked incredulously, prompting the usually stern soldier to nod, no doubt in their eyes.

“You’re the only person I can trust with this- and you’ve had my back a hell of a lot in the ring. There’s no one I’d feel safer with than your sniper skills watching my six’.”

You both turned your attention back to the map where a distress beacon had gone up, IMC in origins and matching the credentials her long lost brother had before he was ripped out of the airlock by an explosion still unidentified to what caused it. “We’re gonna need to load up, and pack rations. That’s more than a day’s walk from any drop off on that planet.”

Set in her resolve, Bangalore stares at the map with a desperate hope clutching at her features.

“I’m prepared to do whatever it takes.”

\---

“This is fucking stupid and you know it,” You murmur as Octane sets himself up for a jump off the building down onto one of his jump pads. Lifeline was down below at the ready, cameras rolling and he just laughs, jumping up and down in place.

“HA! What think I can’t do it?”

“No... I’m more concerned that you CAN do it. This is a death wish.”

He only flashes his signature grin, and moves back to get a run up. “Well, at least you have faith in me amigo! See you on the other side!” You don’t get the chance to stop the idiot, already using his speed stims and running forward to take the jump. There is a solid 5 seconds before he hits the jump pad and is sent flying with a gleeful shout.

...Right through the glass windows of the lab and into Caustic’s experiments.


End file.
